Don’t let it happen again, PM tells IGP Ferdtan: Yes, we agree to the message of PM Najib Abdul Razak who instructed inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar to ensure that the Low Yat Plaza incident does not recur.But we would like to ask why the police were seen to be slow in reacting to the mob.

Although Pekida president Jamaludin Yusuf denied its organisation issued any official orders to its members to gather at Low Yat – he blamed it on certain individuals acting on their own – the message of mob gathering was circulating out there and 200 of them turned up.

So the question we want to ask the IGP (inspector-general of police) is why the police were ill-prepared and were caught surprised by it? Why were there no riot squads which can handle the situation better than ordinary police? Have the police intelligence fail?

However if it were to happen to opposition protests, no matter how small, you can see riot squads ready with their batons and shields. Roads were even closed and cordoned off.

Why was this not done at Low Yat Plaza on Sunday night? Something is not right in Bukit Aman (police headquarters).

Vijay47: If anyone is really serious about ensuring that incidents like Low Yat never again occur or worse, explode into full-blown tragedies, the first thing we have to do is to admit that it was a racial incident.

We have to stop that rubbish of taking some high noble road and burying our heads deep in the sand.

Two groups of youths fighting is not a racial confrontation, but Low Yat had all the hallmarks of Umno’s hand – a huge gang of thugs brazenly bent on creating havoc, police officers suddenly blessed with unheard-of patience allowing violence to break out in their presence, and unbelievably, negotiating with the gangsters.

Khalid, was this how you treated Hindraf and Bersih? As for you, Najib, if for once in your sorry life you mean what you say, sack the IGP and appoint someone who will take firm action against anyone and to hell with race or religion.

I mean, appoint someone from outside Umno.

Odin Tajué: Najib, you are just letting off hot air. All this while, you have been a paralysed, absent, and deaf-mute when your leadership was gravely needed.

You have provided none because you are no leader. You are but a follower and one that has absolutely no sense of shame, no principle, no integrity, no morals, no nothing to cause any decent person to have even a bit of respect for you. You are really the absolute pits.

Wira: I am confused. At one time, racist gangsters appear to have immunity when they threatened the peace. Now the PM wants the IGP to be firm with them.

We are under the impression that criminal suspects, depending on which side of the political fence they are on, are to be treated differently.

Anon1: Why place that responsibility solely on the IGP? Your regime started the “apa lagi Cina mahu”, cow-head incident, “rosak akidah” due to a Christian religious symbol, DAP Cina, etc.

Your regime did not take any action against Zulkifli Noordin, Ibrahim Ali and Isma when they spew their bigoted racist views and ridicule other religions.

Further, your regime’s zeal to play to the wishes of religious bigots in banning an Arabic word from being used by others encouraged zero tolerance towards the faiths of others.

When non-Malays are racially abused, the police and those in authority stand back and turn away. With all these and more, your regime had actually encouraged these poor, ignorant, uneducated and jobless mobs to be easily aroused by the same bigots whom you refused to take action on.

It’s only a matter of time before the same mob is going to march into your office at Putrajaya one day to thrown your lot out.

The Reaper: After watching the videos on the Low Yat violence, I am not confident PDRM (Royal Malaysian Police) is able to handle the situation.

The police watched the hooligans jumped and stomped a car and beat a person up. They could have fired warning shots since the situation has gone chaotic, beyond control and public life and property were in grave danger.

Nangka: Whatever the reasons for the happenings in Low Yat Plaza, be it a case of theft or the beating up of a man who had committed a felony, the occupants of the car does not deserve such treatments at the hands of the mob that has gone amok.

The driver was kicked and abused, his car was almost destroyed. Gosh, what is happening in this holy week of fasting?

Saphire: I always treasure our good relationship with other races and pray that peace among us will last forever.

Let us face the problem squarely. There are elements of racial grudges in the incident. For one, Najib should be praised for warning the IGP that such an incident should not be allowed to repeat again.

The IGP must in turn issue the same warning to his subordinates that they would be held responsible if at all such unfortunate incidents happen again. Make sure that his officers act fairly and firmly against any would-be troublemakers, regardless of their race, religion and political leanings.

Only then a strong message is sent to troublemakers that the police tolerate no nonsense from them.

Apa Nama: Najib, since you became a PM, you encourage all these so-called Malay right groups to flourish. When they incite something racial, you keep quiet and let it go.

You just say ignore them but how to ignore them when they are here to stay and your party is sponsoring them indirectly. What type of drama are you playing with right-thinking Malaysians?

Justine Gow: His past silence on incidences like this has emboldened bigots and racists like those who gathered in front of Low Yat Plaza to act unruly and violently.

Now he is speaking up only because he is trying to gain back the support of Malaysians after his credibility as PM has dipped to an all-time low over the 1MDB fiasco and allegations of huge sum of money deposited into his and his wife’s bank accounts.

Negarawan: The Low Yat incident just goes to show how fragile Malaysia is. It is a symptom of a failed state. Fifty years of Umno rule has seriously polarised the country with untold damage to its social fabric.

This incident will further affect investors’ confidence, which is already reeling from the 1MDB mega scandal. Malaysia badly needs a change of government.

Anonymous #80765480: Our economy is in dire straits and we have pressing issues to deal with, such as putting food on the table.

If the economy doesn’t get any better, the whole country will suffer and no particular race will get exempted. As for this Low Yat incident, I don’t see any winners but losers instead.

Mantra888: When most citizens are assailed with great financial responsibilities and constraints without an end in sight, and with people with vested interests negating all our great efforts, do we, Malays, Chinese, Indians, et al, have any more dignity left?

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